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Author Notes: Zucchini, mint and chili are a trifecta to which I've always gravitated -- the pleasant blandness of summer squash proves a great foil for the searing heat of chili and the sweet perfume of fresh mint. The other week, I decided to try a fresh chili instead of the dried chili flakes, and to take the acid element a little further by adding a generous splash of sherry vinegar; I thought I'd counteract the rough edges with a little sugar, and finally throw in some toasted almonds for crunch. The result was one of my better successes. The chili is pretty assertive, so if you're not fond of a lot of heat, either use a smaller amount or opt for red pepper flakes instead of the fresh chili. —Merrill Stubbs

Toast the almonds in a pan over medium heat until golden, watching carefully, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Trim the zucchini and yellow squash and cut each one in half lengthwise, and then in half again, so you have four long quarters. Slice each quarter into 1-inch chunks. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a wide sauté pan with high sides and set over medium-high heat. When the pan starts to smoke, add the zucchini and squash and a large pinch of salt, and turn the heat up to high. Sauté the squash, tossing frequently, until it’s well-caramelized but still has a bite, about 3 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium and add the chili to the pan. Cook for another minute, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle the sugar and vinegar over the squash and toss to combine. Cook for another minute or so. Turn off the heat and stir in the mint. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and then fold in the almonds. Serve immediately.

A variation: cool the cooked squash and serve at room temperature, shaving some ricotta salata or parmesan over the top.

Couldn't find fresh mint, so I used fresh basil instead. It was absolutely excellent! This is the method my mother used, which she showed me, to cook soft-skinned squash, and it always comes out perfect! Thanks, Merrill, for putting it in writing!

Had this for dinner last night and it was delicious! I used half the marinade for the veggies and the other half for some boneless, skinless chicken thighs that we also cooked on the grill. I added a dollop of yogurt and a squeeze of lemon juice and it was the perfect summer meal!

This is the best zucchini recipe I ever made. I am drowning in zucchs from the garden, so this will become a regular. I crumbled goats milk cheese on top and it a great addition. Thanks for your share!

Made this twice in recent weeks as the first zucchini and summer squash are appearing at the greenmarket. Because I rarely like to time things and enjoy dishes both hot and at room temperature I added the ricotta salata to the zucchini after it had cooled down. Really quite tasty, highly recommend it, especially as it takes the fuss out of timing the veggies for dinner. I plan on making this for company with grilled lamb and the the quinoa-kale recipe from this site as well.

Merrill - I have been playing with this recipe a little bit. It sort of became my go-to for zucchini this summer but then I started thinking that what you were really leaning towards was a southeast asian feel. So I modified by using fish sauce instead of salt, added cilantro and thai basil to the mint, bumped up the hot pepper a little and added some lime juice to the mix. It came out really nicely - recommend that approach for a change of pace.

I've also been playing with it . . . my latest favorite iteration is to add a heaping spoonful of ginger slivers with the squash, then fish sauce and lime juice with a tiny pinch of sugar at the end, sometimes with Thai basil, along the lines of a fabulous Cambodian recipe for Ginger Stir-Fried Fish I make often, from "Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet" by Alford and Duguid. ;o)

We are crazy about this recipe! I made it again last night, using only summer squash as that's all I had on hand. (Hooray for the first yellow squash of the season at my farmers' market!!) I cannot eat chili, so I used a generous amount of red peppercorns instead. I served it with Merrill's Saag Paneer and some brown basmati. (Hmm, just realized that it was my first "all Merrill" meal . . . though I've made numerous all-food52 meals, of course). What a great dinner! And this dish is so simple! Just love it!! ;o)

I've made this twice now, and thought it was terrific, both times. I'm thrilled to see this morning another excellent squash recipe -- Amanda's Summer Squash Gratin -- which has me wondering if the technique of salting the squash should be used in this recipe. Excess water is not an issue, obviously, in a dish cooked on top of the stove as this one is. But I'm wondering if the flavor or texture would be improved. What do you think?? Many thanks. ;o)